Category Archives: Wine Basics

Among other things, for yesterday’s Thanksgiving dinner we drank, a nice Bourgueil that I had enjoyed before. This time it was on another level of enjoyment. The difference was that about an hour before we sat down to eat, I … Continue reading →

Varietal wines are simply wines that are named for the grape principal grape variety used to make it.  Some varietal wines are made 100% from the grape named on the label.  Varietal wines made in the US must be made … Continue reading →

If you read the wine press, or even those little tags with scores and reviews that some stores put up, you will come across discussions of “oak” and “new oak”.  So what does oak have to do with wine? For … Continue reading →

Fortified wines are wines that even many wine geeks don’t know much about.  So I will start with most basic of basics.  Fortified wines are wines that have had alcohol added to them, most often brandy.  This started as a … Continue reading →

We opened a bottle of wine the other night to have when some friends came over for dinner.  It was an inexpensive but nice red from the Vaucluse region of France.  About halfway into the bottle, my wife got a … Continue reading →

It can be really hard to tell when a wine is ready to drink.  Even experts get it wrong frequently.  What I have put together in this post are some general guidelines that can help. Rosé is one of the … Continue reading →

When and how to return a bottle of wine. Continue reading →

A discussion of what is a bad wine Vs a wine you don’t like. Continue reading →

A brief overview of what Champagne is and the varieties available Continue reading →

Part 1 covered the basics of how sweet wine in made in the winery.  This post will cover a bit about the role the vineyard plays as well some tips on when and how to enjoy sweet wines. If a … Continue reading →